Sequence
by crossXpunisher
Summary: Will anything ever be the same after the priest in black is gone? Or will it affect us all? (WxMi) (VxMer) (Chapter 3 is now UP!)
1. Sequence

.:Sequence:.  
  
He wouldn't start crying right now. Especially not now. Not in front of Millie. But it couldn't be helped.  
  
"Where did I go wrong...?"  
  
The tender warmth of an angel embraced him, protecting him from the entire pain in the world. Everything he hated was gone, and he sucked in the warm love flowing from a silent kiss on his forehead. It was a feeling he had never experienced before: he couldn't explain it, because he didn't know what to say. He'd never received a kiss before...he didn't want it to go away...  
  
"Please, eat the sandwiches: You need your strength."  
  
The words rang through his head like a million echoes, and every time it sounded lovelier than before. He held on even tighter, as if a child that needed protection. He didn't want her to go away...  
  
"Will you...eat them with me?"  
  
Millie pulled away slightly, enough to show him her approving smile, and her baby blue eyes showing him the most care and devotion possible. Such sweet, sweet, innocence...if she only knew how much she meant to him. True, she wasn't the brightest, but she had defined intelligence in her own way: She was a guide who had shown him a hidden path, and had uncovered unknown feelings inside him. Nothing he had ever known had made him feel that way...  
  
He pulled her in again, and hot tears stung his eyes. He hadn't cried for so long...all the emotions and feelings couldn't be held in anymore. He didn't care who saw him acting like a child anymore. A sudden greed rose to the surface, and he wanted all the love in the world at the present time. It was a horrible feeling, having greed, but he couldn't stand it: It was an unfulfilled wish that had needed to be satisfied for far too many years.  
  
Millie cradled his check with her warm hands, and smiled, hoping that it would bring a sense of comfort. It hurt her to watch him cry: She had never seen anyone in this much pain. He accepted the care, and caressed her hand with his. It felt so small and delicate, compared to his guilt stained fingers. He dragged both hands to his lips, and returned the silent kiss onto her palm.  
  
She suddenly pulled her hand away, and looked at him with shaken eyes.  
  
"M-Mr. Priest...! It had defiantly gone too far. Perhaps it had only been a kiss, but his was meant to be more than friendly. It was silly and against both of their ideals, but he wanted it all: he had too many sins to be a priest anyway.  
  
Millie stood up, and headed towards the table where the sandwiches were placed. She took both out, and sat down next to him, and handed him both sandwiches.  
  
"Aren't you...?"  
  
"No, I ate before, Mr. Priest. You should eat them."  
  
He knew she was lying, but began to eat the sandwich so he wouldn't worry her. They sat in silence, each with own thoughts and ideas.  
  
"Mr. Wolf-..."  
  
Her apology was cut short by her lack of breath. She opened her eyes, only to find herself face to face with the priest. She suddenly realized why she couldn't breathe, and couldn't find the strength or want to pull away. She closed her eyes again and continued smoothly with the sequence, while every second became more and more intense. His greed had apparently rubbed off on her, and she did nothing to stop the current situation. She didn't know where her emotions had come from, or where her common sense had disappeared. But she knew that this couldn't go too far; she'd stop somewhere along the way.  
  
Somewhere...  
  
She was quite surprised that the traveling priest knew exactly what to do. He couldn't have possibly kissed or had so much contact with anyone before due to his profession. But honestly, she couldn't judge at all: Barely letting anyone touch her before contributed to the lack of judgment. Second, she was shocked that following the pattern was so simple. It had always seemed so complicated when you caught a glimpse of others exchanging a kiss and embrace; it appeared necessary to remember to know the perfect sequence.  
  
She rapidly fluttered her eyes open, and found herself stare straight into a pair of stormy blue eyes that were filled with question. She panicked when she found herself pressed against the cold sheets of the bed, with a masculine body lying on top of her.  
  
"Why'd you stop?"  
  
"..."  
  
His eyes suddenly softened and smiled, and pulled her into a tight embrace, with his face burying itself into her hair and shoulders. She was so warm and soft, compared to his rough appearance and mangled hair. A hand stroked through his hair, perhaps enjoying the texture, and lulling him to sleep. It was so incredibly comfortable...and it brought back so many memories...  
  
"Mille...?"  
  
"Hmm...?"  
  
"...Do you love me?"  
  
She paused a moment to analyze the question, and stroked his hair once more.  
  
"...I do, Mr. Wolfwood. From the bottom of my heart, I do."  
  
This brought a sense of comfort once more, and he smiled to himself, trying his hardest not to explode with happiness. He moved himself up to kiss her on the lips once more, and pleaded to God for this to last forever. As much as he loved it, he felt a sense of guilt for what he was about to do.  
  
His hands traveled under the layers of cloth, and he outlined the soft curves numerous times, memorizing each and every one. Millie flinched when his cold fingers touched her, but she didn't pull away, nor did she intend to. She responded by wrapping her arms around his torso, and her fingers glided under his heavy jacket, only to reveal an unexpected tense and muscular back. Surely, carrying that heavy cross must have contributed somewhat to his strength, but she never expected so much to be hidden under a layer of clothing.  
  
Somewhere during the process, Wolfwood managed to slip off his jacket, and was now well on his way take off Millie's as well. However, he suddenly took into consideration what he was doing, stopped, and looked into the innocent blue eyes of the angel. His eyes were firm, but unsure, and filled with far too any questions.  
  
"...You sure?"  
  
Her partially open eyes gleamed, and gave him an answer with no words. She moved her head forward, gave him a peck on the nose, and a gentle stroke on the cheek. He closed his eyes, and no longer felt the guilt on his shoulders anymore.  
  
Hands were everywhere, and he was in control. Furious kisses that made her melt were exchanged, and things were going a lot faster than anticipated. Perhaps this hour had given her a sense of maturity? Whatever it was, she continued the dance, and did her best to keep up with the rhythm.  
  
He smelled so different than everyone else: a mixture of cigarettes, church incense, metal, gunpowder, and a scent of worn clothing that was worn far too many times. Thousands of scents filled the room, and they intoxicated her. She buried her face in his hair, and let out a giggle. The priest paused and smiled, while resting his head against her chest.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"Your smell...it's different."  
  
He shifted his head to look straight at her, and a mischievous grin was painted across his face.  
  
"Oh really...? It kinda is, isn't it?"  
  
As if on queue, Millie winced as a sudden thrust of pain, and the corners of her eyes shed a tear. The final dance had begun, and both savored as much of it as they could. Silent screams echoed in the dark, and kisses broke the silence.  
  
"Don't go Nick."  
  
How he wished he could fulfill her request. The last thing he wanted to do was leave his angel alone. He wanted to promise her, but he couldn't. He forced himself to smile.  
  
"That's the first time you called me that."  
  
"Please don't go..."  
  
Now she was the one who needed embrace, and her fingernails dug into his back. He stroked her hair and face, and ignored the shots of pain onto his shoulders. The grip eventually loosened, and he found himself staring at a pair of almost closed and tired eyes. He gave her one last kiss on the forehead for the night, and found it difficult to find the urge to get up. Gently moving away her arms away, he forced himself up, and reached for the almost finished pack of cigarettes.  
  
Why did it have to be this way...?  
  
What would the next day bring...?  
  
Just...why?  
  
Millions of questions raced through his head, and his hands quivered as he slid into his pants. He walked over to the windowsill, as quietly as he could, and attempted to answer every question to that came to mind. Questions of the past, present, and future raced through his head, and he was suddenly glad that he hadn't become a psychiatrist, scientist, and any other profession that required tremendous amounts of thought. Truthfully, he'd never bothered to think of so many different things at once, because he never needed to: until now. An unknown amount of time had passed until he realized how extremely late it was, and he was lured into returning back to the already warmed sheets.  
  
He shifted his head once more towards the sleeping girl, and was lulled to sleep by the soft rhythm of breaths.  
  
.:End Sequence:.  
  
Author's Note: Hello, and welcome to my first ever (Trigun) fanfic. I have a couple of things I'd like to say, so if you feel like reading this group of words, feel free to do so. First: My apology for my extremely limited vocabulary and my lack of skill at writing fanfiction (I'm sorry! __() I promise I'll get better!). Second, this is not the end! Do you *actually* believe that I'd end a WxM fanfiction at this point?! No, I didn't think so. Another thing to keep in mind is my extreme laziness and my tight schedule (yeah, ptff, rrrright), so I don't know when I'll update. ^^() In conclusion, leave a review, leave a comment, and make me happy. =D 


	2. I Will Always Help You

In this time and place; there is no time to neither dream, nor imagine.  
  
The paths are already chosen for you, and there are no choices left.  
  
...But what happens when your path is blocked?  
  
Should you follow your heart?  
  
Perhaps it was the sun's glare that awoke him from his slumber.  
  
He shifted himself away from the window so that the rays wouldn't blind him, and rested his hand onto a mound of wrinkled sheets. It felt cool and relaxing, and he grinned at the small comfort. It seemed far too pleasant to move even an inch from his current position, and laziness spread through his body like wildfire. However, there was a lack of a certain subject, and he matted his arm around, searching for the missing girl.  
  
He opened his eyes, and discovered that she was gone.  
  
Propping himself against the cold wall, he rubbed his eyes to be fully awake, and shifted his view around the plain room. It was practically empty; except for a small table, the bed, and his cross, which leaned against the blank wall. It seemed so much like home, except an occasional crucifix and fresh set of flowers would be needed in order to satisfy the room.  
  
"M-Millie...?"  
  
A friendly face appeared in the doorway, fully dressed in an unknown set of pajamas. Dear God, how many things does she have under that coat she wears constantly? He would've laughed at his imagination if it wasn't for a sudden yawn that made his face stretch. It amazed him how awake she could be, especially at this hour. He could really use some coffee right about now...  
  
"G'morning Mr. Wolfwood! Did you-"  
  
"Hun', please tell me, what time is it?"  
  
You could tell by her face that she was trying not to explode in laughter, and her cheeks reddened at the sound of the word, 'hun'.  
  
"...Well, it should be around seven or eight...why do you ask? Time should be irrelevant today..."  
  
She danced back into the small kitchen with a huge smile on her face, while humming a soft and joyous tune. She could be so strange sometimes...and a constant reminder of what happiness really was. He couldn't help but to let a smile emerge on his face.  
  
His train of thought was interrupted when a mug of coffee was held out in front of him by a long set of fingers. The face that owned them had put on her best smile, fully unaware of the swirling mass of thought in his head, while certain something, perhaps horrible, rose to the surface.  
  
...He knew he couldn't stay here.  
  
The awful, and sickest of truths had shown itself: He knew that man would come back. Not only for Vash, but for him as well. He didn't want this sort of life; it was to damn wrong...not that he had a choice, anyway. One could say he was doing it for the children, others would claim he was a heartless murderer. One contradicted the other, and he was once again slightly confused with the idea.  
  
Even though his facial expression didn't change, Millie's smile suddenly faded, and a concerned face appeared. Something was wrong, and she could tell, just by looking into his eyes. She crouched down to be at the same eye level, and brushed strands of his raven black hair from his eyes, only to reveal a sudden downpour of tears. Oh crap, why now...?  
  
"Mr. Priest, please tell me what's wrong."  
  
He wouldn't start this again; it was too much to bear the last time it started. He tried his hardest to fight back the tears, but it couldn't be helped. If certain people knew what kinds of emotions he was shedding in this room,  
  
"I can't..."  
  
"What is it...? You can tell me anything: I'm here to  
listen..."  
  
"I can't...can't stay here...for much longer."  
  
A puzzled expression appeared on the girl's face, and her eyes refused to stop staring deeply into the mass of emotions shining through his eyes. She was worried: It wasn't very often he showed this much of what was on the inside.  
  
If he talked, she would listen.  
  
If he needed help, she would pull him through.  
  
If he needed comfort, she would give him love.  
  
"Why...where...how? Tell me Nicholas, I want to help!"  
  
Her face was distressed by now, and she felt so terribly helpless. He looked straight at her, and his eyes narrowed.  
  
"...Millie, answer me this: How would you feel if you lost someone  
you loved?"  
  
"I...I..."  
  
He moved even closer to her face, and waited for her reply.  
  
"...I don't know."  
  
He expression softened, and his lips curled into a comforting smile. He though long and hard about what he was about to say, and spoke when it was finally decided.  
  
"If it were me, I don't think I could live with myself. However...I think you very well knew what you would do. You'd keep on livin', 'cause you're a strong girl. A lot stronger than I'll every be..."  
  
It was obvious that he was full of sorrow, and that he wanted to stay forever.  
  
"...That's why I want you to promise me something."  
  
The girl listened intensively, and bit her lower lip from anxiety.  
  
"...I want you stay here, until I come back. And if I don't...I want  
you to forget everything. My exsistance, my-"  
  
Millie abruptly rose from her crouching position.  
  
"Nicholas D. Wolfwood! How dare you say those things?! You think forgetting everything will help? The truth hurts, but it's better than knowing nothing!"  
  
She wanted to be angry with him, and tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. The last time she was this angry was when Vash shot those two children...  
  
His eyes widened in shock: Why were her words exploding with truth? He felt so dumb in her presence, and he couldn't look her straight into the eyes anymore. Had his entire life been a lie? No, it hadn't...he had something to live for now.  
  
"...I'll stay, but promise me you'll come back. A-a-and even if  
you don't..."  
  
A sudden cold object hung itself around her neck.  
  
"It's been nice hun', but duty calls...I'll see you soon."  
  
He kissed her forehead one last time, slid on his top garments, picked up his gun, and walked towards the door. Although, he stopped for a moment, and turned around to speak once more.  
  
"...Even if I won't be here, physically..."  
  
Her eyes shined, but she prevented them from overflowing.  
  
"...I'll always be right beside you..."  
  
She brushed her hands against the metal object that was given to her.  
  
"...Now and forever..."  
  
She gripped the chain, and squeezed it until her hands went numb.  
  
"...Within that cross."  
  
She let the chain go, and the cross fell right between her breasts.  
  
He forced one last smile, and the door closed with a click.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
Hello, and thank you for reading chapter two of my fanfic, 'Sequence'. Erm...my apologies for it being so spaced out, but I was forced to do so, due to that fact that each paragraph had a different topic...^^;; Is this the end of 'Sequence'? Probably not. I may choose to write more if I have the time, which should be sometime within the next two weeks. I really do want this to be a fairly long fanfic, so if it does, I'll give you guys lots more WxM fluff, plus some occasional MxV fluff. Muah haha ha- *ish shot* Erm, and my apologies for the characters losing some of their character...I TRIED! I really did..._ I love you guys. I love you all. =3 Thanks for the kind reviews: it means a lot. =D  
  
P.s.: If anyone wants to tell me how to get italics and/or bold font, feel free to tell me. ^^; P.s.s.: Make sure to review; it makes me happy. XD 


	3. December Paradise

It was nice to finally see Meryl smile.  
  
True, there were occasional smiles, but nothing like this. Her eyes shone with happiness as she embraced the man dressed in tight black from head to toe. She had kept her feelings hidden for far too long, and at long last, the love intoxicated the air around them while their feet soaked in the overflowing well water. And all that could be let out was a smile from a distance, not daring to interrupt. Anyone normal would be green with envy by now; but not her: the girl with amber hair and baby blue eyes that refused to be touched by pain. If Meryl was happy, then she was happy: Her newest philosophy that would guide her for many months to come.  
  
With that though, her lips formed into a wider smile, and she took the half lifeless body from Vash's shoulder. It didn't weigh much: perhaps a bit heavier than her normal load that lay under her coat. She slung him over her shoulder, careful not to touch the bandaged wounds that practically spotted the figure, and trotted slightly away from the two lovers, and waited for them to finish their newly said hellos. Perhaps she should take him to the nearest medical facility, for it would be quite some time before her partner would finish her 'interrupted' sentences.  
  
She giggled at the thought, and started walking down the street, while the pale blue sky made her face brighten, and helping her ignore the pain that lay in the past.

* * *

"If the records show correctly, the young man should be up and about in a few months..."  
  
The middle-aged doctor eyed the group of three suspiciously, and probably wondered what the crazy bunch did to the shorthaired blonde to be put in such terrible condition. However, all he received was a large, goofy smile from a similar looking blonde, and two grins from a pair of innocent looking girls. He put on a fake smile, and began walking out the door.  
  
"...And if all goes well, he should regain consciousness in a week or two."  
  
The three chatted amongst themselves, and it was somewhat difficult to tell what hell they had experienced in the past two years. But now, it was all over: Vash was back, Meryl was happy, Knives was going to be all right, and Millie...  
  
...Mille was going to be okay too.  
  
Millie watched the lifeless body, and would have been convinced that the man was dead if it wasn't for the steady and delicate breathing that kept him attached to this world. She didn't understood how such hate could live in a person, and she might as well praised Vash for his kindness: There weren't many loving people in this world, but she figured that number has yet to multiply. Her face remained blank to the intensive amount of thought, and her view shifted to the window. It was such a nice day outside...nice enough to share with the ones you loved...  
  
"...Millie? ...Millie? Are you alright?" A familiar voice perked. Her gaze shifted to the purple set of eyes belonging to her devoted friend.  
  
"I'm just fine..." Her voice sounded too dead, and added more word for the sake of not worrying her friends.  
  
"...I think I'm in the mood for some pudding!" she finished.  
  
The worry on Meryl's face disappeared, and she thought the idea sounded swell. Perhaps she had only misinterpreted the blank look on the girl's face: She appeared to be perfectly fine, even if there was a drop of pain in the corner of her eyes. Millie was strong though, and she wouldn't give into grief that easily.  
  
"Sounds good to me! What do you think, Vash? Donuts sound good?"  
  
A sudden shine arose in Vash's eyes, and he nodded gleefully at the idea. Knives wasn't going to be going anywhere for quite some time, so it wasn't any hazard to leave him unattended in the facility. The three lifted themselves from their seats, and went out the same door they came in.  
  
The suns were already quite low by the time they reached a decent place to grab a few sweets, and all three were relived to find a quite place to sit. Vash had volunteered to pick something out for them, although it was obvious that he was going to give the girls some time alone.  
  
The two sat in silence for quite some time, until Meryl had enough guts to ask Millie some questions.  
  
"Millie...? Are you all right? You've been acting strangely ever since...well..."  
  
She was afraid to finish her sentence, however, the girl across the small coffee table said nothing, and continued to stare into space.  
  
"...Mil-?"  
  
The girl suddenly looked back with a blank expression that had appeared often through the past few days. However, her eyes were filled with question; not sorrow. It amazed her how she could be so emotionally stable, even though she had possibly suffered just as much as Vash. Perhaps if hadn't been so evident to others, but Millie had...matured, in her own sense. She would've asked more, but Vash's sudden giddy intrusion interrupted he, and Millie's happy squeals for pudding ripped through the surrounding air. The question disappeared, and her sky blue eyes were suddenly filled with joy once more.  
  
"Meryl, where are we going once Mr. Knives is better?"  
  
She hadn't thought of that: Where were they going to go? They couldn't stay in this town forever, cooped up into two small rooms...  
  
"...'Cause I was 'inking dat we cud go to visit 'ome!"  
  
Millie smiled at the idea while her cheeks were filled with pudding. That didn't seem like such a bad idea...Perhaps it would be nice to visit home after so many months of lost contact. And on the way, they could visit a few interesting places, such as ones announced in the satellite. Meryl and Vash returned the smiles, and immediately started planning; so many places in so little time...  
  
"...Meryl, could we visit December?"  
  
Meryl nodded gleefully, accepting the idea, however, the reason reached her a few seconds later:  
  
Wolfwood had mentioned an area near December as his home once before.  
  
Millie's face was unaffected by her idea, and continued to eat her pudding silently. The idea seemed fine, but all he ever mentioned was that it was 300 iles away from December, not in which direction: A radius of that size would be difficult to cover.  
  
"Are you sure you want to-"  
  
Millie looked up from her pudding.  
  
"Why, yes! Mr. Wolfwood always told me how nice it was there! He even mentioned that it was green there, Meryl. Could that mean there's a geoplant there too?"  
  
Vash perked his head up from the box of donuts that sat on the metallic surface, and he flashed a confusing look that could be interpreted as intrigued. All eyes at the table shifted towards him, not knowing what to say and what action should be taken next. Vash silently lowered his face into the box of donuts, let out a few breaths, and mumbled while his eyes made it appear as if he was in a trance.  
  
"It seems that it's the best idea we have at the moment."  
  
Millie let out a cheerful squeal, but it was soon followed by an outrageous yawn. Eating so much pudding at once always made her sleepy, and it was difficult to keep a pair of heavy eyelids from crashing down and luring her into a deep slumber.  
  
"Meeeeryl...? Can we start going back to our rooms? I'm getting sorta tired now..."  
  
Meryl looked up at the sky, adored the few visible specks of light in the sky, and finally lifted herself from the hard chair with a relaxed sigh. Millie quickly responded by tumbling out of her slumped position, and swooped to the right of her seat. The two girls began walking towards the tiny hotel building, but Meryl stopped to wait for Vash. However, it appeared that he had no desire to go anywhere, and he quietly munched on what donuts he had left.  
  
"Meryl...maybe we should-"  
  
Meryl's head jerked violently towards Millie.  
  
"...Maybe we should leave him alone for now...he's ...been through a lot."  
  
Meryl's eyes filled with sympathy for both characters, and so many images of what happened in the past two years swelled her brain. Yes, Vash has been through a lot...but Millie's been though more than an average person can handle. She was doing better: She even had the capability of concealing it all, and locking it in a tiny, forbidden section of her heart.  
  
"C'mon Millie, it's getting late."  
  
Meryl started walking again, and Millie followed loyally behind in silence until they reached the paint-tattered building. The floors creaked with age, and once the girls got to their rooms, Millie bombarded the bed with her weight, and was soon followed by a series of light, continuous breaths.  
  
Meryl, as tired as she seemed, did not sleep.  
  
She waited.  
  
Waited until she heard the floor creaking near the room next door.  
  
She sprung from her sitting position, and quietly raced to the door, only peaking through the crack until she felt comfortable to step out. Vash stopped in his steps, and the tow shadows faced towards each other for what felt like hours. Meryl suddenly let out a painful laugh, and her eyes shined from what soon might fall from them.  
  
"...I'm in love with a plant..."  
  
Vash stood silently, and wiped her tears from her face.  
  
"...But he's the most gorgeous one of all..."  
  
The hallway fell silent, and the two shadows became one. And from the dark room, in her partial slumber, Millie smiled to herself, and finally fell asleep.

* * *

Wow, it's the end of chapter 3! :D Many apologies for taking so long, I've had a hectic schedule due to school and extracurricular activities. Since the summer's almost here, I'll have much more time to concentrate on improving my writing, and taking the time to draw more stuff. I'll post my devart art link on my bio when I get the chance, but if you really wanna look at my stuff, look me up as 'crossXpunisher' on deviantart.com. Anywho, this chapter originally was started in April-May-ish, but due to stuff, I finished it today. So perhaps you'll look forward to chapter 4: By then my head will swell with ideas. :D Toodles till next time! 


	4. What's done, is done

It was cold.  
  
Very cold.  
  
The heat from his body had seemed to escape into an unknown space, making the well-built body seem fragile, delicate, and unable to move. Like a thin sheet of glass that could be shattered, even if the most careful hand adored it. It was too cold to move, to dark to see, too blank too think.  
  
Too cold to feel any emotion but emptiness and pain.  
  
It was nearly unbearable.  
  
But he would live through.  
  
...Unless he was already dead.

* * *

Millie woke up with a jump, and shivered from the sudden shock in the unpleasantly damp room. After being propped against the wall for some time, her hand swiped the sweat that was just about to reach her eyes, and a relived expression slowly appeared on the girl's face. This allowed her to tumble out of bed onto a surprisingly smooth floor, made from some unknown, solid material that appeared to be just as old as the walls supporting the building. Turning gently towards the right, her eyes burned from the sunlight pouring through the window into the mediocre room, and the pair of eyes violently shut.

Her broad frame expanded through the heavy air, and from her lungs there came a procacious yawn, that quietly echoed against the splintering walls. Millie's arms reached excessively up, abdomen stretching in opposite directions, sending a pleasant tingling throughout her entire figure.

Suddenly, the pleasant smile disappeared, immediately grabbed her stomach area, and nearly collapsed due to a sudden and unexpected jolt of pain. She squirmed around the room with a disgruntled look, until she was forced trod towards the sink, and released the contents of her stomach. There was a large thud after that: the result of her rapidly moving into a sitting position against the lower portion of the wall. Two tears poured on the side of her face, while quiet pants filled the room.

The room door swished open, and Meryl came in like lightening in a partially buttoned collared shirt. She looked worried, and it was obvious that there was deep concern for Millie. The small girl immediately leaped towards Millie, and knelt before her while stroking the tear soaked cheeks.

"I knew you shouldn't have eaten so much pudding last night. You made yourself sick! You should be more careful, Millie..."

Millie coughed a few times, and blinked her eyes rapidly to clear her vision from the tears. She forced the best smile she could procure.

"I guess my appetite got a hold of me last night...I'm a bit better now."

"I should have stayed here last night, I'm sorry Millie-"

"It's okay Sempai, I'm fine now..."

The door creaked once more, and this time Vash came sleepily trotting through the door with a look of surprise: to see the Millie on the floor with what was left of her tears was a rare sight indeed.

"Is everything alright?"

Meryl paused for a second to think.

"Perhaps we should take you to a doctor..."

"No, I'm fine, really."

Millie had a harder time than usual lifting herself up, but as soon as she did, the stomach pains were gone.

"I better get dressed and ready for the day...can't waste time on a great day like this!"

Millie proceeded to rummage through her belongings that were neatly stashed at the side of the bed, and Vash soon started heading out the door while scratching his head full of hair.

"I...better get my things, then..."

Meryl started slowly following Vash with a slight tint of pink of her cheeks, but she kept looking back at Millie to see if she was fine.

"You do that Meryl, you do that."

Mille continued to go along with her current task with a gleeful smile, and finally managed to scavenge an extra coat from the depths of the unorganized suitcase. However, along with pulling out her coat, another garment fell was dragged out, and it fell to the floor. Millie paused, and just stared at the piece of clothing, as if in trance.  
  
A thin white shirt, with an overly large collar, lay motionlessly on the floor while a loose thread moved silently in the small breeze that came from the door. From the moment it touched the ground, and familiar intoxicating smell filled the room, and it felt as if time stood still for far more than a moment. Millie was surprised she hadn't noticed the shirt before, and felt guilty that it was so carelessly packed into the bottom of her suitcase. To be honest, she didn't even know how it had gotten there.

She would have continued to gaze at the article of clothing, but the sound of a slamming door interrupted her train of thought. The girl immediately moved her gaze to the doorway behind her, and was surprised to see Meryl leaning against the wall.

"Perhaps you should really stay here today, Millie...you could use the rest."

Meryl walked over to her partner and moved her palm on Millie's forehead.

"Well...you don't appear to have fever, but you should sleep. You look tired."

"But Meryl! What about work-"

"Vash and I will be fine without you for the day. Now please, rest, because we'll need you tomorrow."

Millie found it somewhat suspicious to see Meryl in such a caring mood. However, she obeyed, and watched Meryl head out the door with a wave. Millie found herself to be suddenly sleepy, and decided to curl up under the wrinkled covers from her previous slumber. However, in the midst of her napping, her hand reached back to the ground, retrieved the white shirt, and embraced it while her head rested on the collar.

"Good night, Mr. Wolfwood..."

With that simple comfort, she fell asleep.

* * *

"Vash, I'm worried."

The tall blonde jerked her head behind him, and looked at the raven-haired girl with a sympathetic look.

"She'll be alright. Besides, we're already heading home, so you can check up on her soon."

Meryl felt somewhat relieved after this information, but she still couldn't get over a small nudge towards the back of her head: It wasn't exactly...usual...to see Millie acting and feeling so oddly.

"Vash...do you think this has anything to do with...well...you know..."

Her head bowed down, as if in shame.

"He was a good man..."

Vash's pace slowed, and the dust behind their trail was blown away into the air.

"...I sometimes wonder if he was really supposed die."

The gunman cocked his head back, and his sunglasses reflected the sunlight as he stared into the sky. He forced back a tear in remembrance of his good friend, and continued walking.

"What's done is done..."

Meryl felt guilty bringing up the subject, and she could almost feel the stinging pain Vash was going through. Although, the pain Millie must be going through must be near unbearable, and she kept a note how to never forget that.

But while in her deep thought, she wasn't aware of where she was walking, and accidentally bumped in Vash. She looked up to see his gorgeous face, unscathed by the decades of suffering.

"You looked so deep in thought, I couldn't help myself."

He put a crooked smile on his face, and put his hands Meryl's shoulders, somewhat afraid he might crush her small torso with his gigantic hands.

"She'll be fine."

Meryl smiled with reassurance, and flew up the stairs into Millie's room. She sat on the side of the sleeping girls' bed, and brushed the auburn hair from her face. Millie looked like a child, curled up under the mounds of wrinkled sheets, and her face pressed against the pillow...

But it wasn't a pillow.

"Oh Millie..."

Meryl wanted to cry when she pulled out the wrinkled and soaked shirt, and felt the biggest guilt she had ever experienced. It wasn't fair...

She checked Millie's forehead to see how she was doing. It was then followed by Meryl being paralyzed in shock.

"VASH! MILLIE'S BURNING UP!"

A blonde broom raced through the doorway, with eyes in disbelief.

"We have to take her to a doctor. NOW!"

* * *

Dun dun dun...cliffhanger! 

Before I say anything more, I must say: I. HATE. THIS. CHAPTER. BWARW. It has no depth, the sentence structures are like...blah, and well, I just don't like. And I apologize for the awful-ness. Xx; I'm also pretty bad a cliffhangers, but seeing how I'm new to this whole fanfic thing, I can't degrade myself too much. This is prolly the last chapter you'll see until mid to late July, sorry about that. Maybe if I have access to Internet and I get a chance to write anything, then it'll be up earlier.

This whole chapter seems rushed, because I have so many ideas I have yet to incorporate into this...so bear with me.

I'll improve soon...I promise...


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